LESSON OVERVIEW
Whether a passenger requests help or not, there are many opportunities available for helping passengers before, during and after a flight. In this module you will learn how you can use your observation and listening skills to identify an opportunity to help a passenger, assess what the best action is for the passenger based on your observation, how to act on the opportunity, and then ask for feedback. The more opportunities you take, the quicker you will learn how to successfully manage interactions with your passengers to improve their travel experience and make them feel that they are well taken care of.
Caring for Passengers
There are many ways to care for passengers before, during, and after a flight. As you plan for your flight you will be given a list of passengers that requested special assistance at the time of
reservation or check in. The requests may be for a special meal (you will learn about special meals in module 13), about transportation of the family dog, about a reservation of an empty seat next to them, or for special attention to a child traveling alone. You can properly manage the customer interaction, by confirming the special request with the passenger and addressing the request.
Five Steps for Managing Passenger Interactions: Special Assistance
y Review requests for special assistance
y Make eye contact and smile: this non-verbal behaviour establishes trust and shows that you care
y Confirm the request with the passenger y Address the request
y Ask the passenger for feedback: was the request for special assistance filled to their satisfaction?
Request Customer Interaction
A special meal “Mr. Lee, the vegetarian meal you requested will be served shortly following our beverage service.
Transportation of a family dog Miss Jones, the captain advised me
that your dog Scooter has been boarded on the plane and that the ramp staff made sure that he had water and food for the flight as you had requested.
Reservation of an empty seat Mrs. Scott, I’ve confirmed with the boarding agent that she was able to keep the seat next to you open as requested.
Special attention to a child traveling alone
Hello Sam, my name is John. We are so pleased to be taking you to visit your grandmother. Have you been on an airplane before?
Managing passenger interactions also involves caring for passengers that do not request special assistance. Observing passengers carefully can provide hints that lead you to know there is something you can offer or do to make your passenger’s travel more
comfortable. In each of the observations in the table below, there is an opportunity for you to provide care and service. These
passengers may never actually ask for assistance. Acting on your observation creates an opportunity to make the passenger’s travel experience more pleasant - otherwise, the moment is lost. These simple tasks will let the customer know that you care and want to establish trust.
Five Steps for Managing Passenger Interactions:
No Special Assistance Requested
y Observe and listen to passengers: body language, things they say to you or others, facial expressions.
y Make eye contact and smile: this non-verbal behaviour establishes trust and shows that you care.
y Decide what to do to help the passenger.
y Offer assistance.
y Ask the passenger for feedback: I hope your travel experience has been pleasant.
Observation Customer Interaction
You notice someone who is visibly upset or crying and looking out the
Offer a tissue and a glass of water.
You notice an elderly gentleman struggling to stow his luggage and find his seat.
Approach the elderly gentleman and ask if you can help with his luggage and find his seat.
You overhear a woman saying that this is her first flight.
Introduce yourself to the first time flier, ask if she has questions and tell her about the airplane.
You see a young woman trying to maneuver two small children and multiple bags down the aisle.
Approach the woman and ask which seats she has been assigned and offer to assist her with the bags.
Whether a passenger requests help or not, there are many opportunities available for helping passengers before, during and after a flight. Use your observation and listening skills to identify an opportunity, assess what the best action is for the passenger based on your observation, act on the opportunity, and then ask for
feedback. The more opportunities you take, the quicker you will learn how to successfully manage interactions with your passengers to increase their travel experience.
Progress Check
As cabin crew focused on customer service, you will be required to assist passengers throughout the flight.
1. List two simple actions that establish trust and reveal customer care.
2. List two other actions that are not listed in this lesson that you can do to establish trust with your passengers.
3. List three observable actions by passengers that indicate their need for assistance.
4. What are the five steps to follow for managing passenger interactions for passengers that have requested special assistance?
5. What are the five steps to follow for managing passenger interactions for passengers that have not requested special assistance?
Answer Key
1. Make eye contact and smile: this non-verbal behaviour establishes trust and shows that you care.
2. Other actions that you can take are: 1. Use a gentle soft tone of voice, 2. Ask for the passenger’s name and use it as you speak to the passenger, 3. Nod as the passenger is speaking to show that you are listening and then repeat what the passenger just said to confirm that you have understood.
3. Crying and looking out of the window, unable to find their seat, having trouble placing bags in the storage compartments or trying to settle in with two small children.
4. Review requests for special assistance, 2. Make eye contact and smile: this non-verbal behaviour establishes trust and shows that you care, 3. Confirm the request with the passenger, 4. Address the request, 5. Ask the passenger for feedback: was the request for special assistance filled to their satisfaction?
5. Observe and listen to passengers: body language, things they say to you or others, facial expressions, 2. Make eye contact and smile: this non-verbal behaviour establishes trust and shows that you care, 3. Decide what to do to help the passenger, 4. Offer assistance, 5. Ask the passenger for feedback: I hope your travel experience has been pleasant.
Lesson Summary
Whether a passenger requests help or not, there are many opportunities available for helping passengers before, during and after a flight. Use your observation and listening skills to identify an opportunity, assess what the best action is for the passenger based on your observation, act on the opportunity, and then ask for
feedback. The more opportunities you take, the quicker you will learn how to successfully manage interactions with your passengers to increase their travel experiences.
Lesson Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this lesson you should be able to:
• Distinguish between giving a command and making a request, and determine in what circumstance each is appropriate.
• Describe how you give a command in a manner that is not threatening or rude.
8.2 Giving a command and making a request